


Three Times Hubert and Richard Were No Longer Friends; or, How Hubert Decided to be Tolerant of Richard's Proclivities

by kalypsobean



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Background Relationships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 12:37:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13077030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalypsobean/pseuds/kalypsobean





	Three Times Hubert and Richard Were No Longer Friends; or, How Hubert Decided to be Tolerant of Richard's Proclivities

**Author's Note:**

  * For [muuchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/muuchan/gifts).



-one-

The official excuse, passed indiscreetly along from various nobles, and reaching Hubert by way of an oral addendum to his official invitation, was that Richard found diplomatic gatherings quite boring, and felt that talks would go faster if everybody knew each other more than to argue across a table.

Hubert was sure that most people were taken in by that, but he knew better. He knew Richard had set this up for the express purpose of humiliating him.

"A masquerade ball?" he repeated, and his valet nodded, a squeak coming from somewhere within his throat. 

"Fine," Hubert muttered. "Send word that I'll attend."

He intended to make quite sure that nobody would recognise him. He would not allow anybody would see him in some fancy mask with feathers on it and have gossip spread. No. He was going to have quite the excellent costume, and he would be absolutely unidentifiable.

He couldn't wait.

 

It was, perhaps, obvious that Richard would be recognisable, though Hubert could not help but roll his eyes in exasperation as he noted Richard's costume - a headscarf and his cape turned inside out, yet again. He even introduced himself as The Mask of Barona, and Hubert was surprised at how many people in the crowd seemed to be taken in by the act, though he hoped, for the sake of humanity, that they were all just pretending and were actually smart enough to recognise the King of Windor.

 

The flaws in Hubert's costume became apparent when food was brought out. Windor Castle had the best kitchen staff on the continent (Hubert had been personally responsible for rescuing some of them, so he was very sure of that fact), and the dishes looked amazing, highlighted as they were by starlight streaming through the windows. However, Hubert was not able to partake, at least, not publically. He did, naturally, proceed along the buffet and take some of his favourites, and he mingled while holding the plate so that he looked like he was eating, but he intended to have it taken back to his accommodations and eat afterwards, when he could take off his helmet without an audience. He was most of the way to succeeding, having handed off his plate to a servant with strict instructions to relay it to his assistant (a young but quite reliable junior officer who understood how these things worked), when he felt a sense of impending doom and then a thump on his shoulder.

"Hubert! I must say, this is exactly the costume I thought you would wear!" Richard's voice carried, and more than a few people Hubert had been politely avoiding looked over. "I must say, you wear it quite well. What was it you always yelled? Sand squad?"

"Beach brigade," Hubert said, as he removed Richard's arm. 

The helmet prevented him glaring at Richard with any effect as the stodgy Fendelian ambassador took advantage of Hubert's presence and would not shut up.

 

-two-

He forgave Richard because the talks actually did go better, and most people didn't seem to have actually noticed that he ran around Windor Castle dressed as a superhero. Or they didn't care, either way. The main thing is, he escaped with his reputation largely intact as well as having been able to avoid most of the people he wanted to avoid (being, nearly everyone). Though he'd ended up having to beg the kitchens for more food after his plate had not survived the journey to his room; he would keep that one in reserve in case it suited him to hold a grudge as leverage. Politics could be rather delicate like that, after all, and Hubert was quite good at it.

 

The Strahtan delegation was preparing for the journey back to Yu Liberte, and Hubert, being of a mind to socialise in a much more dignified and private manner and much more economical in his luggage requirements, decided that he would pay Richard a personal visit. As the talks had been scheduled to last for two more days, he could be fairly certain that Richard would not be whisked away for some petty ceremony or prior engagement, thus allowing them to talk like mature gentlemen.

 

He was on his way to Richard's private rooms when a noise from the reception hall struck him as rather unusual. It could have been a cat (hopefully not a Katz, that would be rather unfortunate), but something about it seemed desperate, almost feral. It would not be the first time an animal had sought shelter in the castle, and if it was hurt, Hubert judged it would be better for him to ascertain what he could before summoning a veterinarian. He will later tell himself that he had no way of knowing.

He covers his eyes with his hand and backs out of the reception hall, wishing there was a door to close so that he could slam it loudly enough to startle the couple. 

 

"How was your visit with the King?" his assistant asks. Probably he is hoping for some kind of nugget he can use to make himself seem important back home, claiming privilege by association with Hubert's friends. Hubert knows he can be quite cynical, but that is how things work; he supposes he should pass his luck on, at some point, but right now he is not in the mood to be benevolent. 

"I was away less than ten minutes. Clearly, Richard was otherwise occupied." _With my brother_ , his mind added, unhelpfully, for he was trying to forget that he'd seen them... like that. It was quite irresponsible of them, really.

Hubert wished he'd stayed at the inn.

 

-three- 

"What do you mean, we can't sail?" If it was possible, Hubert thought the ambassador might have started walking home. But of course, it's not, and as the captain explained about some kind of squall blowing in, Hubert observed that most of the delegation seemed to be just as fidgety. Some of them had lost people here, and he could, perhaps, understand a degree of unease, but he'd noticed nothing like that when they'd landed, or, indeed, any other time they'd passed through.

The ambassador chose to return to Barona rather than stay in Lhant, and Hubert begged off the journey; it was a short enough distance that they could arrive there by nightfall, and it wouldn't be arduous, but Hubert did not want to go back to the castle and he had the excuse of visiting his mother, which, well, at least she would love.

 

So, of course, he ends up in his old room, feeling quite full and tired. His mother had pulled together quite the meal, and it seemed half the town had wandered in and out at some point; he would have suspected anyone else of trying to convince him of something, or of making him just the kind of tired and pliable he was. His mother, though Hubert had no doubt she would be capable of such intentions, was only trying to win him back, as if she could undo the past.

"A guest room will be fine, Mother," he'd said at least twice, but he was wary of disappointing her (not because he'd actually forgiven her quite some time ago and just hadn't managed to find a way to say so without it being abjectly humiliating) and it seemed important to her to be able to say that she'd kept a place for him.

Such transparency was almost reassuring, and there was comfort, somehow, in seeing his desk just the way he left it.

He just had to share the room with Asbel; to his brother's credit, however, there was no additional awkwardness. Asbel, of course, could be entirely clueless, but Hubert would tolerate that if it meant he could get a decent night's sleep, now that he was away from Barona.

 

He woke up with a start, as if by a sound; he slipped out of bed as quietly as he could, avoiding the creaky floorboard as he crept forward. 

The window was open, and it could have just been a noise from outside; a Turtlez doing inventory, or a wolf too close to town; but the moon was just so, lighting the room enough that Hubert saw the extra pair of boots and then, motion, from Asbel's bed.

 

He took his quilt to the guest room and eventually found sleep there, though he spent much time ruminating on exactly how Richard even managed...

He told his mother it was just a draught, probably a window seal had worn away, nothing major, he wasn't upset. She didn't seem to be calming down, but then Asbel stumbled into the dining room with clearly visible bruising on his neck, and she seemed to deflate. Hubert wasn't even grateful that the questions stopped, seeing her like that, and Asbel pretending nothing had happened.

Hubert blamed Richard for that too. 

 

-and then-

Richard was the most annoying person Hubert knew, except for Asbel, and the Fendelian ambassador. And certain members of his unit, and... well, Pascal, who didn't seem to care that they were on Fodra and it could be very dangerous and insisted on lighting a fire so they wouldn't have to go all the way back to their ship. As if she didn't care about putting everyone in danger, and Richard of course, thought it was a great big adventure.

Richard was one of the most annoying people Hubert knew, but it always seemed to be worse when Richard was right there; it was the kind of annoying that always surprised him when Richard was there, but he took for granted otherwise, when there were other annoyances to deal with. He was, currently, tied for number two most annoying. 

However, Hubert does have to admit this to himself, Richard is loyal, and truly cares for his brother. Even on this strange and hostile otherworld, where they all have to be alert and defensive, Richard stays where he can cover Asbel, even at night, as if daring any of their friends to take issue.

He could do worse than to keep Richard as his friend. 

At least, then, he could rely on Richard to be annoying, and plan accordingly. Like here; he Richard would stay close to Asbel, so if he kept someone between himself and his brother, he could avoid having to talk to Richard unless necessary, or at least, until he's sure he won't say anything he might later analyse.

"It's creepy, isn't it? It looks the same, but it isn't." Richard appeared from nowhere, and Hubert takes back everything about Richard being predictable. He throws a few twigs on their fire and melts into the Asbel-shaped shadow Hubert had thought he was already part of.

"You're on next watch," Richard said. 

Hubert says nothing, but he turns away from the fire, and keeps the rest of Richard's watch.

 

He took a not insignificant amount of delight in blaming Richard for his lack of sleep when Pascal proclaim him grumpier than usual. At least, on this world where everything is just different enough to be unsettling, they remained normal. 

Hubert did have to wonder if they would all survive to make it home, though.


End file.
